Building a house can be cheap and at the same time expensive depending on your preparedness, strategy, and preference.

While many homeowners tend to focus on the cost of the basic construction elements such as land, construction materials, and labour, other little expenses can make building a house expensive without proper planning.

Isaac a YouTuber and a homeowner revealed such expenses can make building go beyond your budget by far. He owns a three-bedroom house in his rural home which he says cost him Sh1.5 million.

Among the little expenses he encouraged aspiring homeowners to include in their construction budget are;

Water

He notes that water is one of the most important elements in construction as it is required from the start to the end of construction.  Water is used in the preparation of mortar, mixing of cement concrete, and curing work in construction.

However, according to Isaac, many homeowners fail to budget for water and they end up losing a lot of money. He notes that without a good strategy, water cost for a 3-bedroom house can go up to Sh50,000.

Man explains how to build semi-permanent house with only Sh. 250,000

”When I was constructing my house, I bought a tank and hired a few guys to fill it, as a way of cutting down water costs. The tank can hold 3,000 litres of water and I would pay people Sh800 to fill it,’’ he said.

According to experts, the quality of water used has a direct impact on the strength of the motor and cement concrete in the construction work.

The water used for curing and mixing must be free from high quantities of alkalis, acids, oils, salt, organic materials, and vegetable growth that might be deleterious to bricks, concrete, or iron.

Timber and poles

When it comes to timber many homeowners count it as a roofing material forgetting its other uses. Isaac notes that this element is highly needed in the construction of columns that support the weight of the constructed structure.

They are also used to support the arches of a building. Many masons also use timber and poles to make temporary climbers which can consume a lot of wood. Isaac notes these temporary support structures can consume wood worth Sh10,000.

Feeding workers

He notes that some people especially in the rural areas highly prioritize feeding their workers. This, he says can be very expensive especially for those with many workers, considering they take breakfast and lunch daily.

Transport cost

Materials need to be transported from the supplier to the site. Isaac notes that this is an expense one can never run away from, as masons often bring in new material demands promptly.

”Some materials such as some types of  iron sheets cannot be curled, meaning you will need to hire a vehicle to transport them to the site.’’ He explained.